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Friday, 30 September 2011

Random Recipes - Apple Snow with Yogurt and Oatmeal

I was determined to participate in random recipes this month hosted as ever by Dom from Belleau Kitchen. As an avid magazine subscriber I have piles and piles of them, and couldn't even begin to think about picking a recipe. But then I remembered my blue folder.... In days gone by when I was more organised (and had fewer magazines) I'd eventually get round to cutting out the recipes I fancied (and some that I didn't) and sticking them onto A4 paper, held in the aforementioned blue file.

However, I had a habit of cutting out not only the recipe I really fancied, but the ones I thought I might fancy at some point in the future (when I had lots of money/access to super-fresh seafood/a hugely carnivorous OH/a family of eight to feed) so there are many recipes in there which I actually don't fancy at all! In addition, if there was a feature in a magazine on, for example, the food of Sicily, I'd clip the whole lot out, to avoid having to either decide what to take out or because I was feeling lazy with the scissors and glue!

So it was with some trepidation that I opened this file (nothing has been added to it for about five years...) and was very pleasantly surprised to find that I would be making apple snow with yogurt and oatmeal, which is a Nigel Slater recipe from the Sainsbury's Magazine in the early 2000's. Not only did it appeal to me, it was simple to make and in season too! Nigel suggests serving this as a dessert, and mentions how pleased he is to find a dessert without added sugar. I agree, but would also suggest this as a lovely refreshing breakfast.

With only three ingredients I thought it only fair to stick to the recipe as closely as possible.

Score lightly around the centre of the apples and roast in an oven set to gas 6/200C for around 35-40 minutes depending on size of apples and their variety. The scoring stops the apple exploding! When they have a fluffy midriff and are soft, remove from the oven, and when cool enough to handle, scrape out all of the flesh, mash with a fork and leave to cool. Chill thoroughly in the fridge.

Meanwhile, toast the oatmeal until it starts to colour and smell nutty and toasty. Using little glasses, Nigel suggests Moroccan tea glasses, spoon in the apple fluff and then top with the yogurt. Sprinkle over the oatmeal and eat straightaway - the suggestions are either to take a little of each layer, or to mix into an apple-yogurt fool.

I used coxes apples for this and the beautiful pink blush on the skins transfered to the flesh during the baking, giving my apple snow a rosy glow. I haven't had sheep's milk yogurt for years, but it was fresh and tasty and the combination of sweet apple, refreshing yogurt and toasty oatmeal was a definite winner for me. Sorry you've had to wait until the very last minute for my submission to your event Dom, but I'm glad I made it!

Ah yes, the old folder. I had such grand ambitions for my folder, which had stops and starts of activity and organisation, but now just sits stuffed full of loose recipes that need to be sorted. One day, one day...